1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a holder that stores hair care appliances in an orderly fashion.
2. Background of the Prior Art
Hair dryers and curling irons are staples in every woman""s ensemble. These two appliances, which receive daily attention, are found in every female""s bathroom, young and old, as well as in hotel rooms and hair salons. The problem encountered by users of these devices rests in the storage of the devices. Both the hair dryer and the curling iron require heat during use. As the heat generated by such devices can reach very high levels, these devices cannot be placed just anywhere immediately after use. The high heat developed by the devices can pose a hazard to people in the usage area who may inadvertently come in contact with one of the devices, and in some circumstances, the hot devices may pose a fire hazard.
Additionally, the storage of these devices, even after cooling down appropriately, poses some logistical problems. Either the devices are simply laid on the bathroom counter wherein they pose as an obstacle for other functions to be performed, or the devices are placed into a drawer or cabinet where they can become entangled with each other as well as with other appliances being stored by the user.
In a household where more than one female lives and shares the same bathroom, the problems with hair dryer and curling iron storage are multiplied, due to the fact that while one hair dryer may suffice for all to share, each person requires her own curling iron. Multiple curling irons and one or more hair dryers jockeying for limited real estate is no small problem.
Therefore, there exists a need in the art for a device that will accommodate efficient holding and storage of multiple hair care accessories. Such a device must minimize the potential for a person to become burned due to inadvertent contact with the appliance after usage of the appliance. The potential for fire must be virtually eliminated by the use of such a storage device. The device must permit storage of the hair care appliances without undue impact on the available bathroom counter real estate and must avoid the potential for the cords of the hair care appliances to become entangled with one another and with other items stored by the users of the appliances. Ideally, such a device will be of relatively simple and straightforward design and construction and will be easy to use and maintain.
The hair care appliance holder of the present invention addresses the aforementioned needs in the art. The hair care appliance holder accommodates efficient holding and storage of multiple hair care accessories such as hair dryers and curling irons. The device minimizes the potential for a person to become burned due to inadvertent contact with one of the appliances being held by the device after usage of the appliance. The potential for fire is virtually eliminated by the use of the hair care appliance holder. The hair care appliance holder of the present invention permits storage of the hair care appliances without undue impact on the available bathroom counter real estate and greatly minimizes the potential for the cords of the hair care appliances being stored by the device to become entangled with one another and with other items stored by the users of the appliances. The hair care appliance holder is of relatively simple and straightforward design and construction and is easy to use and maintain.
The hair care appliance holder of the present invention is comprised of a base member that has a top surface and a bottom surface. A plurality of openings are located on the base member. At least one cord storage mechanism holds an electrical cord thereon, the cord storage mechanism being attached to the upper surface of the base member and each is associated with a respective one of the plurality of openings. At least one electrical socket is provided and each socket is connected to a source of electrical power and is secured to the base member and each is associated with a respective one of the openings. Each of the openings receives a hair care appliance, such as a hair dryer or curling iron, such that the electrical cord of each appliance is stored above the respective cord storage mechanism associated with the respective opening within which the appliance is stored, and a plug terminating the electrical cord of the respective appliance is received within the electrical socket associated with the respective opening for electrically powering the appliance. The base member has a flange such that the flange may be used to attach the storage device to a wall. Some or all of the electrical sockets may be located on the flange. Each cord storage mechanism may be comprised of a stanchion that extends upwardly from the top surface of the base member and a pair of hooks, each having an opening, the pair of hooks being attached to the stanchion such that the openings on each of the pair of hooks are oriented in opposing fashion with the lower hook generally facing the base member and the upper hook generally facing upwardly away from the base member. Some of the plurality of openings are of a different size relative to others of the plurality of openings for holding appliances of different sizes.